This month I rolled up a random starting point of “frog” and “shrine” and so I have a small area with a few notable points that could be dropped in a forest, marsh, or swamp area pretty easily.

Shrine of the Winged Frog

A small shrine secluded in a forest, swamp, or other area that the players have stumbled upon. A small plinth with an even smaller emerald frog with wings of aged copper sits in the shrine. The air around the hut smells of rotting plants and stagnant water. What now takes the worship of the frogfolk is unknown to people near.

Note: Frogfolk may not exist in various systems. You can easily reflavor goblins for adventures from levels 1-2 or lizard folk for levels 3-5. A shaman may be a priest or druid from the system depending on the challenge you are aiming for. And any humanoid stat block for apprentices, barbarians, and warriors can be easily reflavored to provide more variety for combats and social encounters. Possible modifications include a jump or a jump attack and a reach or ranged attack with their tongue. Larger versions of frogfolk might restrain or swallow opponents.

3 key features or aspects

1. Shrine of the nature spirit: a fist-sized emerald carved into the likeness of a frog with an aged copper setting resembling it’s legs, eyes, a mouth, and a pair of feathered wings is displayed on a plinth outside the hut.
2. Nomadic frogfolk camps: scattered around the area, especially near bodies of water.
3. Poisonous pools: rotting plants and brackish water plagues the area in pockets that grow into larger clumps.

Historical layer

Before being lost to human encroachment the area was a sacred site to a local spirit of animals. It is said this spirit protected the area to create a bountiful area for animals and beast folk to thrive in before the area was inhabited by humans. There is still a nomadic tribe of frogfolk that roam the area that worship the spirit.

Notable NPCs and random encounter table

1. Slickleaf – a frogfolk shaman and the leader of the frogfolk tribes in spiritual matters. He will ask for assistance in finding out what is corrupting the area.
2. Rainhopper – A frogfolk barbarian and leader of the corrupted frogfolk who lures lost travelers to their slaad or demon master. Will try to ambush adventurers at the behest of their new master if they meddle, but otherwise attempt to make the adventurers lost.
3. Sybil Vali – leader of the nearby village who will enlist adventures to find missing townsfolk and where brackish water is coming from.

1d6 encounter table

Roll once for a random encounter or roll twice for two sides who have met.

1d6	Encounter
1	Slickleaf with 1d4+2 guards and 1d4 apprentices
2	1d4 frogfolk apprentices and 1d6+2 warriors
3	1d4 hunters from the local village
4	1d4+2 wolves (or other animals)
5	2d6+2 frogfolk barbarians
6	Rainhopper with 1d6+2 barbarians

Fantastic items or resources

• Simmering frog spring: A small hot spring that gets it’s name from the local humans because it always has frogs in the edges of the spring and their fear that they are slowly killing themselves with the heat from the spring. It has slight healing properties and medicinal herbs grow quickly around the spring.
• Winged Frog Shrine: a shrine that has deep connection to the land and can be a conduit for druids, rangers, or anyone attuned to nature.
• Forsaken Abyssal Ship: a fiendish ship that crossed into the this realm that carried the Slaad or demon.

Hooks

• Druids, rangers, and anyone attuned to nature seek to rid the evil spreading through the area.
• The Shrine of the Winged Frog needs purification by a deity who is wishing to send a nature spirit or demigod back to watch the area.
• The corrupting evil has killed off the healing or other herbs that the players need or are requested by the local village.
• Families of the missing villagers have put up modest rewards to find their family members who have been lost in the area.

Secrets or clues

1. A green Slaad or devil has taken to impersonating the nature spirit that the Frogfolk worship.
2. A green Slaad or devil has corrupted Rainhopper and his barbarian followers. They lead people to their new master to kill and torture victims in front of their master.
3. The brackish water and poisonous pools of water in the area are a result of a corrupting influence by the green Slaad or devil.
4. Slickleaf has tried to rally frogfolk tribes together to push out the evil influence, but needs help getting more tribes on board.

This work by Brandon Cole is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0